Did we really need another forum???

loonlvr · Post by **loonlvr** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:11 pm

Perhaps it is relevant that ASAA is a non-profit organization while this forum is supported by a company. Maybe they wanted no connection to a for profit corporetly sponsored chatboard. Makes sense to me.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:30 pm

****************THE END ********** PLEASE??!!

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 4:57 pm

Hey if you don't like it don't go there. If you don't like where this thread is going don't read it.

If forums are outlawed only outlaws will have forums.

rock and roll · Post by **rock and roll** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:00 pm

Now we are sounding like the NRA

IWannaSleep · Post by **IWannaSleep** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:42 pm

I think some people just look for any reason to complain.

ron

RickSt · Post by **RickSt** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 5:53 pm

Can't we all just get along? Don't worry, be happy.

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 7:30 pm

loonlvr wrote:Perhaps it is relevant that ASAA is a non-profit organization while this forum is supported by a company. Maybe they wanted no connection to a for profit corporetly sponsored chatboard. Makes sense to me.

Here is a list of the companies funding the ASAA and thus paying for the ASAA forum:

CNS, Inc.
DeVilbiss, Inc., a division of Sunrise Medical
Healthdyne Technologies
Medtronic, Inc.
Nellcor Puritan-Bennett Corporation
Respironics, Inc.
Resmed
Fisher & Paykel
Invacare
Air Products Healthcare
Restore Medical

Seems to me that the ASAA forum is also funded by a number of "for profit" commercial entities.

----------------

loonlvr · Post by **loonlvr** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:02 pm

I can only give you my impression of this situation. These companies are making contributions to ASSA in much the same way they do to public television. That is not the same as these companies buying commercials on regular television selling there products and paying huge sums to the commercial stations(ABC,CBS, etc) to do so.I have nothing against a for profit company running a chatroom such as this. Heck, I joined this board before you did. And I will continue to participate in here.But your opposition is stunning in its intensity. The more boards, chatrooms etc, the more ppl will be reached and helped. And take my word for it, cpap.com will be mentioned often in the ASAA forum as a place to get quality products at reasonable prices with great service,

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:06 pm

Wader, if you can find a money tree instead, please point me to it!

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:09 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote: Seems to me that the ASAA forum is also funded by a number of "for profit" commercial entities.

As a nonprofit, the ASAA operates like all national nonprofit organizations. All nonprofits operate with some level of corporate sponsorship, usually along with memberships, grants and other giving. Loonlvr was absolutely correct. It is like PBS, which is not owned by corporate interests but is sponsored by a variety of corporate interests, in addition to membership and other sources.

Nonprofits of all sizes operate this way. I belong to a small one, which also accepts various corporate sponsors.
Sure, there might be some influence by being a major sponsor.
But as along as there are various sponsors and ownership remains as a nonprofit, there remains no commercial ownership. In a way, sponsors share in the effort to get the word out about the issue to which they have a corporate interest. Nonprofits by definition are a Public Trust. They exist for the public and make people aware of their mission and their issues.

It doesn't mean that nonprofits are perfect or that they don't suffer growing pains like anything else. Nonprofits are legally so and must meet IRS guidelines. It is wrong to give the impression that nonprofits are commercial entities. They operate by strict governmental guidelines and with the mandate to serve the public. If anything, corporate sponsorship of the ASAA is significantly lower compared to similar national nonprofit organizations.

Linda

chrisp · Post by **chrisp** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 8:19 pm

Outlaw communists not cpap forums.

NOW its sounding like the NRA

Call the forum police

:twis ted:

Emoticon abuse

_________________

CPAPopedia Keywords Contained In This Post (Click For Definition): CPAP

HoseNose · Post by **HoseNose** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 10:19 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote:Here is a list of the companies funding the ASAA and thus paying for the ASAA forum:

CNS, Inc.
DeVilbiss, Inc., a division of Sunrise Medical
Healthdyne Technologies
Medtronic, Inc.
Nellcor Puritan-Bennett Corporation
Respironics, Inc.
Resmed
Fisher & Paykel
Invacare
Air Products Healthcare
Restore Medical

Seems to me that the ASAA forum is also funded by a number of "for profit" commercial entities.

Grrrrrrrrrrrr... Let's rid ourselves of those good for nothing, blood sucking, money grabbing, capitalistic, for PROFIT companies and put them out of business. We don't need no stinking scum.

OPPS, what am I saying! Who will manufacture my next cpap machine, the one with auto-adjusting humidification. Who will design my next mask, the one with no headgear. You think I'm crazy??? Look at computers just a few years ago. We never even dreamed about what we have available to us today. Products for apnea treatment is where computers were ten ago (if not more).

Without profit, there is money for development. Without development there are no new products. No new products...? YOU do not have the Activa, the Remstar Auto with C-Flex, or the Swift. All products some of us could not live (or sleep) without.

To many people get with illegal money scams (Enron) confused with profit. It's not the same.

Profit is a good thing, whether it is for a large corporation or a dinky one man wood working/cabinet shop (me). When I was a "wage slay" ie. working for someone else, I would look at the "boss" (the one making all the bucks off my sweat) with distain and envy. Now I'm my own "boss" (the one making all the bucks off my sweat) and profit allows me to buy the new table saw or drill that lets me create a better product for my client. Oh, it also payed for my cpap equipment.

cpap.com sponsors CpapTalk don't they? They're a

wading thru the muck! wrote:"for profit" commercial entities.

but they're not bad people.
------------------------------------------

The only one who doesn't like profit is one who has never made "it".

IWannaSleep · Post by **IWannaSleep** » Thu Jun 16, 2005 11:34 pm

Bravo! Bravo! HoseNose,

Well said. Profit, directly or indirectly, drives production. Does anyone still really think a totally socialist or communist model will really work?

Ron

wading thru the muck! · Post by **wading thru the muck!** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 7:41 am

Again, many seem to be missing my point.

Loonlvr, Just pointing out that the money to run the other forum comes from profit making entities just like this one. If you don't think that that has an influence (good or bad) on what they do, then you are putting you loon head in the sand (do they do that?)

LDuyer, I did not say that non-profits are commercial entities, just that the funding for them comes from commercial entities. You con it right about there being influence that comes along with that money

IWannaSleep, I not looking for a reason to complain, in fact I am not complaining. Just putting in my two cents regarding the direction the ASAA took on this.

HoseNose, I am the LAST person to criticize the profit motive. A statement was made that the ASAA forum may be better because it is run by a non-profit. I was just pointing out that in reality they are funded by profit making businesses and subject to the same influences. Hence there is no advantage. The original purpose of this thread was to discuss wether or not it was necessary for the ASAA to create their own new forum or would it have better to join forces with the existing forums.

I am in no way "opposed to" or "against" the new forum. I just felt there was a better approach and I am opening that concept up for discussion.

LDuyer · Post by **LDuyer** » Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:46 pm

wading thru the muck! wrote: ... I am in no way "opposed to" or "against" the new forum. I just felt there was a better approach and I am opening that concept up for discussion.

It's never too late for new approaches to things. There's no reason why the ASAA can't still work together with the other sleep apnea discussion boards and the sleep apnea community as a whole. Sharing information might be one of those approaches, for the information helps people. Our discussion board may not be what you had in mind as a form of collaboration or a way of reaching people, but that's fine. We disagree on the approach. Our approach was made out of consideration of a number of factors, and we found setting up this new board was a quick means of accomplishing some of the ASAA's goals. Time is of the essence when it comes to informing people about this condition.

I've said it before, I think that cpaptalk is a wonderful forum and I hope and know it will continue to be successful. If you or others have some ideas that might benefit us all, especially how we can work together, feel free to let me or the ASAA know. Don't know how long I will be a volunteer there, but someone at the ASAA could also help. I found Ed Grandi to be a great listener. We invite and encourage your suggestions.

Linda